The Word Became Flesh (John 1:14-17)

[NOTE: The message is shorter this week because the Sunday School program took place during the morning worship service.] 

There’s a moment that happened last year, that will go down in Minnesota sports history. Many are calling it the Minneapolis Miracle. The Vikings are in the quarterfinals playing the Saints. They Vikings had squandered their 17 point lead at half-time and were down 23-24 with only a few seconds left in the game. Case Keenum was looking to throw a quick out-route to stop the clock and set things up for a field goal. He threw the ball, the defensive back missed the tackle, and Stefon Diggs ran for a game-winning 61 yard touchdown. Minnesotans would call it glorious. 

I am a typical beaten-down Vikings fan, who always expects the worst. So, I wasn’t even watching the game. I didn’t want to be frustrated. So, I was hanging out with my family, occasionally checking the score on my phone. I remember looking at my phone, seeing the score with thirty-seconds remaining, and saying to Rachel, “Well, they choked again,” setting my phone down and continuing to hang out with my family. A few minutes later, I picked up my phone “just to check,” and saw the score. I was in shock. What happened? Yet, I had my own level of excitement. I experienced a level of the glory of that moment, even though I wasn’t even watching the game. 

Then there were those who were watching the game on TV. There’s YouTube videos of their reactions. These people took the game WAY too seriously, yet they experienced a level of glory in that moment. People were running around like crazy people, sobbing, screaming, cheering. Then, there were the people who were at US Bank Stadium. They experienced another level of glory. They were there. They weren’t just watching it on the screen, they were experiencing it. It was another level of glory. Then, there were the teammates on the sidelines. They were even closer. The looks on their faces are priceless. They were even closer to the action and experienced another level of the glory. 

Moses had an opportunity to taste glory. As God was equipping Moses to lead His people in the wilderness, Moses makes a bold request. He says to God, “Show me your glory.” (Exodus 33:18, NIV). God agrees to show Moses His glory, but with one exception. Moses cannot see the fullness of that glory. He must hide in a rock and can only look at the backside of God’s glory. That’s enough for Moses. As the Lord in front of Moses the Lord proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.” (Exodus 34:6–7, NIV). As people summed up this proclamation of the Lord, it was often summarized with the phrase, “abounding in love and faithfulness,” which can also be translated “full of grace and truth.” 

Moses comes down the mountain with his own face glowing because of the glory of God that he had seed—the backside of the glory of God. Moses face was glowing to the point that it intimidated people. He had to put a veil over his face to limit the radiance of God’s glory shining from His face. Yet, remember, this was only the effect of the backside of God’s glory. Compare it to the glory I experienced of the Minneapolis Miracle by simply checking the scores on my phone. That limited amount of God’s glory caused Moses face to glow to the point that his face had to be veiled. 

Now, after listening to our children present the Christmas story to us anew, John says something almost unbelievable. He says, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14, NIV). This baby that entered our world, entered full of grace and truth, entered the world with the glory of God. This glory is no longer the limited glory that Moses saw—the backside glory—it is the fullness of the glory. And John cries out, “We have seen His glory!” This glory was magnificent. It is “the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father.” It is glory that is “full of grace and truth.” It is the glory that was manifested to Moses, but ramped up. The difference is even greater than the distance between the glory I experienced and the glory the players experienced in the Minneapolis Miracle. 

Let that sink in for a moment. The glory that shone through Jesus was greater than the glory Moses experienced on the mountain. The backside-glory that caused Moses’ face to shine is nothing compared to the glory experienced in Jesus Christ. 

That’s what this Christmas celebration is all about—God’s glory exploding into the world through this little baby who was born in a manger. God’s glory exploding into the world in a more powerful way than it had in the history of the entire universe. God’s glory coming in the form of a little baby. God’s glory coming in the form of a man walking this earth. God’s glory coming through His death on the cross for our sins. God’s glory coming through his resurrection from the dead and ascension into heaven. That’s what this Christmas celebration is all about—God’s glory shining in all of its fullness.  

The reality of this should bring us to our knees in worship and adoration. When Moses saw the backside-glory of God it says, “Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshipped.” (Exodus 34:8, NIV). When we look upon this child born in a manger, AT ONCE, we should  bow down and worship. When we think about the glory of God displayed in such a powerful way, AT ONCE, we should bow down and worship.

As we celebrate this Christmas event—God’s glory exploding into the world—let it be a season of worship. As we leave the service this morning, let us worship. As we make final Christmas preparations, let us worship. As we celebrate with family and friends, let us worship BECAUSE “We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14, NIV).